Yeast Starter Infection? Red Spots in Starter

[hedbutter]

I created a yeast starter last night using ~200 grams DME, 1.80L Water and 1 flask of California ale yeast. I boiled the DME for 10 minutes in a pot and cooled to ~70 degrees. I also cleaned and sanitized the flask, dumped in the cooled wort, pitched and set it on the stir plate. This morning i looked at it, and noticed that there is a red/maroon circle of dots/specs that I'm not completely sure what they are. Any advice? I'm brewing tomorrow, so if i need to make a new starter, i'll need to do it as soon as i get home.

 

[progmac]

i think it is just proteins from the hot/cold break of your wort

 

[hedbutter]

i think it is just proteins from the hot/cold break of your wort

That's what I'm hoping. I find it odd it was only where the simple was on the starter.

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[catsnbeer]

the odds of a bacteria of fungus growing in your starter in that amount of time and at that temperature are small, especially considering they would be competing with a lot of yeast cells for resources.

Does it smell normal? like yeast? Could it be some insoluble crap that was carried over from the DME or the pan that you prepared it in?

I always boil the vessel that I do my yeast starter in for 15 minutes in a large pot of water (overkill? maybe...but I am a microbiologist). This is a very safe method aside from using an autoclave. If you use a large glass flask to culture your yeast, you might be able to find a cheap hot plate that would allow you to boil water or or your starter wort directly in your flask (use pyrex). Anyways...dont sweat it.